


A Long Road Up

by 13_Burns_13



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Past Abuse, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Teen Angst, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24977080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/13_Burns_13/pseuds/13_Burns_13
Summary: After a difficult self-discovery (which he won't admit is still continuing), he left everything he could've every wanted behind (yet, why does it feel like a relief to be away?) to join the Gaang. With his awkwardness very present, can he possibly be accepted by the group?In other words, Zuko's journey to self-healing when he first defied his father intentionally to join the Avatar and his group.
Relationships: The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	A Long Road Up

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the first fanfiction that I have ever written, any tips/tricks, advice, corrections are much appreciated! There will be skips when the story follows the exact scene from the show, though scenes that I would want to add more too I will write in the story. 
> 
> I wanted to write this to shed more bonding time with Zuko involved, I felt the show didn't really touch on that aspect before they were rushed to defeat Ozai before the comet came. It will also touch on how they created their own family away from their own broken families. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 1: His Arrival**

Zuko’s POV 

**_“This is stupid,”_** Zuko thought to himself as he stashed the hot air balloon he took in order to get here. 

He arrived at the Western Air Temple, the last place he heard the soldiers mentioned hearing from the invasion forces when his home- the Firelord's palace was under siege. He wondered dully to himself if the soldiers rumors held out since his sister- the Princess wasn’t investigating it herself. 

**_“The rumors might just be baseless,”_** he reasoned with himself **“** ** _just in case, I should set up camp in the forest before entering the temple.”_** Nodding to himself, he got started making a makeshift tent with a newfound determination. It's not good to be lost in his own thoughts by himself. The wonky tent, a sheet tied between two trees, wasn’t the best by any means, but it will do its job in providing shelter throughout the night after all he might not even need to stay the night here if the Avatar isn’t here. He grabbed the rope he packed and started making his way down to the temple, being careful about avoiding twigs that could give his position away and tied his rope to the end of the closest tree to the edge of the cliff. Looking over the edge carefully, the fog hiding the bottom of the ravine he shivered to think of if he lost his grip on the rope while heading down. He checked once again to see if the temple looked deserted and position the rope to start heading down if he fell then it didn't matter what his destiny was. 

Once he landed, he looked around the temple with a feeling of nostalgia from his first visit when he was just thirteen not even a week after his banishment. He grimaced, hating to realize how much of a terrible nephew he was to his loving uncle. 

**_“_ ** **I’m sorry, Uncle,”** He said out loud to no one in particular, though he reasoned bitterly **_“it might be too late to ask for forgiveness. His uncle refused to talk to him, other than in riddles, during his imprisonment. Yet somehow the old fool-”_ ** he stopped his thoughts, groaning to himself. He's trying to change, he really is yet he keeps going back to his foul mouth. He pinched the bridge of his nose and continued his thought again **_“His UNCLE”_ ** he emphasized in his thoughts, **_“still tried to direct him on this path, towards his great grandfather Roku.”_ ** After he confronted his father, he shivered at the memory and the raw power, burning sensation that came from redirecting lightning, he did try to bring his uncle along. He stopped his look around, **_“maybe it's a good thing his uncle got himself out, I’ve been nothing but a bad nephew at his help throughout my banishment. He was never ordered to his banishment, I’ve ruined his life enough…”_ **

He almost missed the sound of the flying bison from being too absorbed in his thoughts, quickly hiding behind a statue he looked hopeful- no not hopeful, he looked at the incoming Airbender and his group thanking the soldiers for their idle chatter he happened to hear. He headed back up to his camp to give them time to make their own. He needed more time to come up with what to say, what could he say after all he's done? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ { _after his confrontation with the group and being sent away} ~~~~~~~~~~_

Toph’s pov 

She stood quietly, hearing everyone's argument about the now-changed Prince Zuko, from what she can gather from the reactions and erratic heartbeats, from anger she’s guessing, of her companions that they had past experiences. “ **_Why does no one keep me up to date with what they’ve done before I joined them?”_ ** she thought with irritation. Hearing the splash, she felt as Zuko made an impact on the ground and trudged, miserly she might add, away from the angry trio. 

She waited, still listening to their ranting about him. From his heart alone, she can tell he was sincere from what he was saying though trying to keep calm while talking to them. 

Listening to everyone’s rambles about everything they have gone through from dealing with Zuko, thinking back to the run-in she was present to with his sister, Azula she believed to be her name, and his father, the Firelord. From what she gathered, none of the group was put into deathly harm unless his other family members were involved. 

Finally finding a time to get a something to say in, she spoke plainly  **“you guys, I don't see any other firebender offering themselves up on a silver platter to teach Aang”**

**“You don't know what he put us through Toph, he didn't go after us nearly as much as he used you by the time you joined”** Sokka interjected before Toph could say more. 

Toph huffed, gesturing to her feet  **“I wouldn’t be saying that if I didn't believe it to myself. He was sincere”**

Katara let out a scoff with a humorless laugh.  **“That's what he wants you to believe, didn't you have trouble with his sister? Couldn't she lie through her teeth? He's done this before, he goes and talks about his mom to gain sympathy and as soon as you let your guard down he’ll strike!”** Toph felt the raise of her heart rate, knowing how betrayed she felt at the situation. She began to doubt herself then shook her head and steeled herself  **“you guys are getting past feelings to cloud your decision now. I thought I was supposed to be the youngest in our group.”**

**“He hurt Aang, Toph!”** Sokka let out stiffly

**“Last I checked, it was Azula that hit him with lightning… Considering his family, he could’ve turned out a lot worse than how he is now. I thought you wanted him to change Twinkletoes, yet you're not saying anything on the subject. Avoiding the issue like always.”** She added the last part out quietly, trying to contain her anger in the rest of her group and failing to do so by stomping over to Aang using her earthbending to show just how irritating the group is.  **“You have to make a decision Aang, you want to go back to our original plan yet you don't even know the first place to look for a firebending teacher!”**

She felt how Aang tried to hide a flinch from the mention of his quietness, he said almost hesitantly  **“he made his decisions, we know where his loyalty lays with. He can't be trusted in our group”** with balled up fists, he adds  **“I- We’ve seen enough of what he can cause”**

Toph huffs, wanting nothing more than to just throw rocks at all of them to knock some sense into them she thought, and no she's not just saying that because of the lack of trust they have in her ability with telling lies. She turns and storms off, not trusting to keep the prick of frustration tears out of her eyes from their seeing eyes. She reasoned if she can talk to Zuko, letting him get a foot in the door through her just to prove the group wrong but first she needs to find him and cool off. Trying to ignore Katara’s protests of how dangerous it could be with Zuko here, she’s old enough to take care of herself for Omashu’s sake! 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading all the way through! 
> 
> I did leave a bit of my outline in the story so if I ever feel like it can be better I can go back and edit it. 
> 
> This is just the introduction, I hope to diverge from the main series to avoid the skips that the main series will leave lol 
> 
> I am hoping to expand on this story while keeping it close to canon and to a semi-accurate timeline of the series. Any suggestions on what I should cover is appreciated. I have some ideas myself, but it always helps to have someone else point out stuff you might not have noticed.


End file.
